An Entire Engine Fell Off a B-52 Bomber While In Flight
A heavy bomber on a training flight returned to base with one less engine than it started out with this week. Luckily the 55-year-old, eight engine B-52H Stratofortress was able to land safely at Minot Air Force Base.
The Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engine fell off the airplane during a training flight yesterday. The pilot declared an emergency and safely landed the jet on the remaining seven engines. According to DefenseNews, there were no weapons onboard the aircraft. The missing engine was found 25 miles from Minot and an Air Force helicopter was dispatched to recover it.
The B-52H bomber first entered service in 1961. The last bomber was delivered in October 1962, around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Originally designed as nuclear-armed strategic bombers, these massive warplanes have been continually upgraded and today serve as a jack of all trades aircraft, taking on a variety of missions from maritime strikes to close air support for ground forces. The B-52H is currently under consideration for the role of Arsenal Plane, a Pentagon initiative that envisions large aircraft acting as flying missile trucks for the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.
The B-52H is unusual among warplanes in having eight engines. The TF33 was introduced in 1961, although it's unclear how old the engine was. That having been said, the problem was likely with the engine mounting and not the engine itself. The B-52H is generally considered a safe aircraft, with only one accident since 1992 attributable to the aircraft itself.
One hundred and two bombers were produced in total, with 58 still serving with the Air Force and another 18 with the Air Force Reserve. Last year Pratt and Whitney proposed an upgrade package for the B-52H that would reduce the number of engines down from eight to four. According to the company, the upgrades would keep the B-52s flying into the 2040s, while saving fuel and reducing overall operating costs. While an attractive idea, the Air Force may be more inclined to save its pennies for the new B-21 Raider bomber, currently under development.
You Might Also Like
